X’s and O’s: Law Firm’s First TD vs Jets, Week 13, 2010
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Over the next several days, I’ll be taking a look back into the 2010 regular season at the X’s and O’s of the New England Patriots’ most memorable touchdowns. The Patriots’ Official Website put together a list of 2010′s most memorable touchdowns, and these will be the basis for the plays that will be analyzed. These X’s and O’s pieces, like the ones I did during the season, diagram the play and explain how it worked.
Today, we’ll take a look at RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ first touchdown against the New York Jets during the Monday Night match-up Week 13. The Law Firm’s scoring run was a showing of power by the back as well as the Patriot offense, as they lined up with all of the hogs in and just out-powered the Jet defense.
The image above shows the Pats’ and the Jets’ formations just as the ball is being snapped. The Patriots are running a bunch goal line offense similar to the play I reviewed yesterday. The only difference with this play is that TE Aaron Hernandez is lined up with his hand on the ground instead of standing up. OG Dan Connolly is lined up at fullback for some extra beef on the field. There’s no misdirection in this play like there was in yesterday’s pass play to Rob Gronkowski. This is a straight-forward, in your face run.
Hernandez, lined up at the left end of the formation offset, blocks into the formation and tries to seal in the edge. Connolly lead blocks to the left side to take on any other incoming Jets, while Green-Ellis follows in behind him.
Two Jets meet the Law Firm at the line, as you can see in the image above, but he has already broken the plane with the football. Even if he wasn’t he has enough power and forward momentum that he knocks the two Jets back as he goes in for the score. This was the first Patriots touchdown of what became a 45-3 rout of the Jets, and this touchdown play set the tone early that the Pats were going to be physical.
To view footage of this play as well as other highlights from the game, click HERE.
Previous X’s and O’s of the Patriots’ Most Memorable Touchdowns of 2010: